I WANT TO QUIT INSTAGRAM

Don’t panic. What I said above is NOT true. I don’t actually want to quit Instagram (I LOVE Instagram) but you clicked on it, didn’t you? You started to think, yeah, maybe I want to quit Instagram too. Or maybe….what? She’s gonna quit Instagram? This ought to be good. 

I’m not gonna lie, I definitely have moments where I feel like just deleting my account. Because what’s the point? I invest WAY too much time and energy into it and often feel like I don’t get much back in return.

But instead of throwing in the towel and calling it quits, let’s break down some of the issues.

Why isn’t anyone seeing my posts anymore?

When you put out a perfectly crafted masterpiece, a carefully curated photo with the most beautiful caption you’ve ever written, only to have it come back with only a few comments from your mom, your best friend and some guy named Prince Larry who wrote something like “job well done” or “beautiful pose, keep sharing your profile…”, it can be defeating. Why am I even doing this anyway?

I totally know the feeling, I’ve most certainly been there. If you want to make sure your posts are getting seen, here’s what you’ve gotta do!

• ENGAGE. As soon as you post to your Instagram grid, you should make a point to engage with other accounts. Engage with some of your favorite accounts, other accounts using similar hashtags, and those that appear in your feed and interact with them. Don’t just “like” their photos – read their captions, digest the photo and then like AND leave a comment showing that you did indeed look at the photo and read the caption. Engagement begets engagement. It’s that simple.
• GET ON INSTAGRAM STORIES. If you’re not already utilizing Instagram stories, you best ask yo’self, why not? With over 200 million users (way surpassing Snapchat), Instagram Stories are a must. Plus, by using Stories, you’re inviting more Instagram users to discover and engage with your grid content. Stories are easily discoverable and can be a great gateway for users to find and fall in love with your account. Plus, you can use stories to tease out content that you’re going to post on your grid.
• TURN YOUR POSTS INTO A CALL TO ACTION. Don’t just post something and wait for someone to notice your brilliance – give your post more meaning by asking your community to engage. Use your posts as a call to action – a way to get people to like, comment or tag others – ask questions, provide insight, and show emotion.

I’m feeling stuck with my content.

If you’re feeling stuck with your content (or perhaps even bored by it…because seriously, how many handstand photos can one person post???), try something new to re-engage your existing audience and perhaps even engage new followers.

Here are some of my favorite ways:

• HOST A GIVEAWAY. Have a product you love? Working with a brand? Or have products of your own that you’re trying to promote? Post an image promoting that specific brand, product, and then ask people to like it in order to enter. Want to drive even more eyeballs? Invite people to tag friends for an extra entry. This will no doubt drive engagement to your post but also to your account as a whole.
• DIVERSIFY. Don’t post the same thing every single day. Yeah, we get it, you’re really good at handstands. We like that about you. But show us something else? Maybe switch from a handstand photo to a handstand video? Or perhaps show us a different side of yourself entirely. People want to connect with you in authentic ways so don’t be afraid to show that you’re more than one-dimensional.
• GET INSPIRED. Feeling like you don’t know what to post? Stuck in a content rut? Search popular hashtags that are relevant to your own posts and get inspired by the community (and while you’re there, go ahead and engage with content you love!).

Nobody knows I exist! 

Well, then, it’s time to get found!

• PROMOTE YOURSELF! Social media is no different than networking (and yes, I mean IRL networking). You can’t just build it and hope they will come, you have to let people know you’re there, you’re interesting, and have value to add. So get out there and promote yourself – it can be as easy as promoting your Instagram account on your other social media accounts and profiles, or working with a brand, or a friend to promote your account. Once you have people’s attention, tell them what they can expect once they’re following you (e.g., behind-the-scenes photos, sneak peeks, coupons, etc.).
• USE HASHTAGS. Be smart about hashtag use – make sure you’re including hashtags that are relevant to your content and audience so that your content shows up in search. Choose a small variety of hashtags to include with your image – from more popular ones, to less popular ones – to encourage those searching those particular hashtags to actually find you!
• SEARCH HASHTAGS. Once you’ve established your top 5-10 hashtags for a particular post, spend about twenty minutes to half an hour engaging with other posts using those same hashtags to allow for more people to find and engage with you!

So there you have it, some quick easy fixes to up your Instagram engagement, content and overall experience.

If you’re experiencing other frustrating issues or have other Instagram ailments you’d like me to touch on, please comment below and I’ll keep trying to help you crack the code!

As always, stay sweaty (and vigilant!).

XO,

Jamie